Tag price-marking machine



1,631,933 Jung 7 1927- F. KOHNLE TAG PRICE MARKING MACHINE Filed Nov. 11, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 avwemtoz attoznmgad June 7 1927. 1,631,933

F. KOHNLE TAG PRICE MARKING MACHINE F iled Nov. 11, 1926 s Sheets-Sheet 2 vwemtoc Qkyge WM atfozuu 11 7 1927. e F. KOHNLE TAG PRICE MARKING MACHINE Filed Nov. 11, 1925 a Sheets-Sheet 3 ans/9% 6 Ho: M 0134,

Patented June 7, 1927.

UNITED sTATEs I 1,631,933 PATENT OFFICE.

raanaarcxixonnrn, or DAYTON, orrro, ASSIGNOR'TO THE Mormon Manxme SYSTEM COMPANY, or DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION or oruo.

' TAG Peron-MARKING macrrmn.

Application filed November 11, 1926. Serial-No. 147,819;

This invention relates to improvements in tag or label price marking machines and particularly to the mechanism for feeding or advancing a tag strip intermittently or in 5 step degrees corresponding in length to the dimension of the tags or labels.

The mechanism is primarily adapted to feed a tag or label strip or ribbon of a thin paper vstock'gummed on one side,the tags or i labels comprising the strip beingdefined by definitely spaced apertures of rectangular form disposed centrally of the strip which are utilized for engagement by a feed finger for advancing the strip, the feed finger rcciprocating longitudinally of the strip.

In the use of a label strip of a thin paper stock it is necessary to properly track the strip to maintain its alignment and to apply a tension upon the portion of the strip operto be suflicient to withhold strip movement as when the finger travels uponthe strip in advance of it reaching an aperture in the strip and upon a retreat stroke.

' It is therefore an object of the invention to providefed mechanism for a tag or label price markin machine havin guide channe through which t e ticket strip can freely pass for strip alignment and a platform beyond the channel upon which the strip is compressibly engaged to stabilize the same for feed fin er engagement and efficient strip advance and to apply a braking tension on the strip to permit the feedingfinger to travel over the stri when not in positive engagement therewith, as for a starting movement before an aperture in the strip is reached and for finger retreat stroke.

Other objects of the invention relate to the construction of the feeding mechanism and to the mounting of the feeding finger thereon unitarily with an inking pad moving in correspondingly timed relation, all of which will be more fully set forth in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the im proved ticket price marking machine, illustrated as operating upon a web strip or ribbon of gummed tickets, the gummed tickets being generally of uniformdimension divided from one another by notches extending inwardly from opposite longitudinal edges of the strip, a central rectangular aperture,

and a line of scoring or perforations connecting the notches and aperture to provide for a ated upon by the feeding finger, the tension an enclosed convenient tearing apart or separating of the individual tickets from the stri Figure 2 is a front elevation 9 the machine.

Figure 3 is a section on line 33, of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the guide or track plate upon which the strip is advanced by a reciprocating feed finger.

Figure 5 is a perspeotlve view of the tension plate which for a portion of its length provides a cover for the guide channel in the guide plate, and a guard or finger contpol for the feeding mechanism to raise the same from the ticket strip in a retreat or return stroke of the reciprocating finger.

Figure 6 is a rspective view of the feed finger and its. hol d er.

The machine is particularly adapted for rapidly feeding and price marking what is termed as gummed labels or tickets of comparatively thin'paper stock arranged in strip or ribbon form and reel wound. Thetickets are arranged to'be readily manually torn from the strip and from one another aft-er price inarked and delivered from the machine. The stri therefore, is notched at its opposite longitudinal edges'preferabl by thenotches 1. at the lines of juncture which connect the adjacent tickets, and along such line is scored or weakened to permit the tickets to be readily torn apart, and yet sufficiently intact with the strip to be operated on within the machine. The strip is also provided with a rectangular aperture centrallyof the strip to present an edge or shoulder for engagement by a finger of the feeding mechanism for advancing the, strip in measured lengths to bring each ticket successively beneath the printing mechanism for printing the price marking thereon. The rectangular o is of advantage in feeding a thin aper stock, as it provides a definite len h o edge or shoulder for engagement with the feed finger and in squared relation therewith for maintaining the feeding alignment of the strip.

The strip is reel wound as indicated at 2, with the core or spool 3 thereofisuitabliy journalled in a casing 4. The strip is three. ed or fed intoa guide channel formed in a guide or track plate 5 removably mounted upon the head of a column or edestal 6. The column or pedestal is pre erably of or other data rm of aperture hollow construction and provides the support for the variousparts of the machine,

and a journal for the main driving shaft 7 operated by a crank wheel 8 by which the various moving parts are actuated. The pedestal 6 and reel casing are'mounted upon a cabinet base 9, andthe pedestal usually is enclosed in a casing which houses the rotating moving parts below the head of the pedestal. Such casing is not'includedin the drawings.

As the machine is contemplated for rapidly feeding and price marking a thin paper stock of strip or ribbon form, the

strip must be properly guided for alignment and to prevent clogging, and the foremost ticket of the strip must be properly sustained so that it will not buckle when engaged and moved by the feeding mechanism. Likewise it is necessary to compressively hold the strip fora manual severing or tearing-ofi operation of the tickets from the strip after they have been price marked and .delivered sufficiently from the machine to be accessible without disturbing theposition of the strip within the machine.

The guide or strip tracking plate 5 is shown as removably secured upon the head of the pedestal so as tobe interchangeable with difi'erentgage guide plates, to accommodate for a change in" ticket sizes. The

guide channel at the forward end of the guide plate has its base surface -curved up-. wardly or inclined to form a guiding ap:

- proach to aplatform in plane with the'ledges into contact with the tension plate.

' length'slightly greathr than the length of for bringing the forward end of the sglilp e tension plate compresses the strip for a tag or aperture spacing of the strip to give it stability and tohold the strip against movement as the feeding finger is brought to bear upon the strip in advance of its en'- gagement with the aperture and also to hold the same against movement as the feed finger is retracted and slides over the strip.

It is essential that the strip be advanced with each feeding or forward stroke of the reciprocating feed finger a distance corresponding to the length, of the ticket or aperture spacing, to properly present the tickets beneath the printing head and for delivering a full length of ticket from the machine.

ripeness The guide plate at its forward end platform portion is grooved longitudinally as at 12 to provide a way for the feed finger, the base,

tudinally notched as at 13 to provide an v opening therethrough for the feed finger which is disposed above the tension plate. A portion of the guide plate in rear of the notch 13 and for the width of the notch is formed to provide a guard portion 14 which receives the 'forwardend of the finger to elevate the same beyond contact with the strip, at its retreat position.

The tension plate 11 is removably mounted within the guide plate and held against longitudinal displacement by a pin 15 extending laterally from one side of the rear portion of the plate and engaging into a notch 16 in the guide plate. The rear portion of the tension plate has a block 17 secured thereon serving as a weight and hand hold for the plate.

The tension finger 18 is pivotally mounted within a holder 19 and under a depressing tension by a spring 20 engaged against a shoulder formed on the upper edge of the finger and bearing against the holder. The

forward end of the finger is squared and provided with a knife edge 21. The knife edge permits the fingers to pass sufficiently through the strip aperture and properly present the squared end against the shoulder 'The finger as it is advanced for a strip feeding operation initially bears upon the strip slightly beyond an aperture and ,over the wayg12 in the guide plate leaving the portion of the strip above the finger unsupported and capable of being depressed under the pressing tension of the finger so as to curve or bend the same slightly and to more abruptly presentthe edge .of the' aperture in the strip to the finger when the finger is brought in registration therewith, .insuring a substantial strip engagement and preventing any dislodgment of the fin er. from the strip. The squared end of the inger cooperates with the rectangular notch,

to maintain the alignment of the strip while being advanced. The channel guide is of an appropriate length which will suitably guide the strip and assist in maintaining its alignment as fed forward so that there is no opportunity for the strip to shift 'laterally under a rapid operation of the feedipg er. V i i 'The finger holdeLin the present construction is shown as secured upon an arm of a carriage 22, the arm also carrying an ink pad 23 adapted to be moved beneath the type printing head of the printing mechanism. The carriage 22 isslidably mounted upon a suitable slideway on the head of the pedestal the driving shaft 7.

The price marking and printing mechanism while an adjunct of the machine, is not included as a part of the present invention, and is of a structure employed in price marking machines now in commercial use. It generally comprises a lever 27 disposed transversely of the tag strip and pivotally mounted upon a bracket extension 28 of the pedestal. The lever is of arcuate form to bring its head portion 29 above thepri'nting platen 30 at the end of the guide plate 5. The head of the printing lever is formed to removably hold a type chase 31 which carries the removable type bars 32, the type chase being removed from the printing head v for changing the type setting. The print ing lever 27 has a depending link 33 pivotally mounted thereon with its free end carrying a roller engaging with a cam 34, as a part of the cam wheel 26. The link intermediately is engaged against a set screw 35 fixed upon the printing lever 27, and forms a means of adjusting the lever to regulate or adjust the head of the printing lever relative to the printing platen for obtaining the desired degree of impression contact. The lever is maintained in contact with the cam by, a spring 36 having one end connected to the lever, and. the opposite end connected to the pedestal.

Tn the operation of the machine, the tag strip initially is manually fed or placed into the guide plate with the foremost end there of disposed. upon the platform of the guide plate with an aperture in the strip exposed" for engagement by the feeding finger. The

feeding finger is mounted upon the carriage to allow the printin which combines the ink pad therewith to move the finger and pad as a unit so that the foremost ticket of the strip and the inking pad are moved simultaneously beneath the printing head. The cam moving the carriage is arranged to provide a dwell at the wardly engaging through an aperture be tween the two foremost tags of the strip to advance the tag strip. a distance necessary to bring the foremost tag upon the printing platen 30 to receive an impression. In a subsequent or succeeding forward stroke of thefeed finger,-the tag strip again is advanced to a tag length degree which moves the tag previously printed upon beyond the platen and leaves the next adjacent tag upon the platen. The printed tag can then be readily torn from the strip by manually depressing the tension plate 11, the operator pressing upon the weight block 17.

The tag strip, however, can be fed through the machine so as to leave the printed tags in strip form for any number of tags for a strip length desired.

For initially feeding or threading the machine, the tension plate can be removed which offers free access to the guide chan nel and avoids the necessity of manually feeding same into the channel. The machine can be operated at a very high rate of speed, the feeding mechanism being of such construction as to permit rapid feed without clogging.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. Tn a strip or ribbon feeding device, the strip to be fed having apertures in spaced relation .and longitudinally aligned, a track for the strip comprising an enclosed chan' nel for placing and guiding the strip a and having a strip receiving platform at the end of the channel, a tension plate providing a closure for said channel and having hearing upon said platform for applying tension on the portion of the strip upon the platform, and a reciprocating feed finger moving longitudinally of the strip traversing said platform and adapted to engage into an aperture in the strip portion engaged by said tension plate.-

2. In a strip or ribbon feeding device, the strip to be fed having apertures in spaced relation and longitudinally aligned, a track for the strip comprising a'channel for placing and guiding the strip and having a strip receiving platform at the end of the channel, a plate sustained longitudinally of the track and having bearing upon said platform for applying tension on the portion pf the strip upon the platform, and a reciprocating feed finger moving longitudinally of the strip traversing said platform and adapted to engage into an aperture in the strip portion engaged by said tension plate.

8. ln a strip or ribbon feeding device, the, strip to be fed having apertures in spaced relation and longitudinally aligned, a track for the strip comprising an enclosed channel for placing and guiding the strip and having a strip receiving platform at the end of the channel at an elevation above the plane of the base of the channel, the platlldtl form having a- "Way longitudinally thereof for receiving the end of a tpwd finger, a tension plate recessed Within said track providing a closure for said channel and extending over the platform and bearing thereon for applyin tension on the portion of thestrip upon t e platform, and a depressed reciprocating feed finger moving longitudinally of. the strip traversing said platform and adapted to engage into an aperture in the strip portion engaged by said tension plate;

' 4. In a strip or ribbon feeding device, the strip-to he fed having apertures in spaced l relation and longitudinally aligned, a track for the strip comprising an enclosed channel for placing and guiding the strip and havinga. strip receiving platform at the end of the channel at an elevation above the plane ot the base of the channel, the platform having a Way longitudinally thereof for receiving the end oil a feed finger, a plate coextensive With said track providing a closure for said channel and a Weight for the portion of the strip upon the platform, and a depressed reciprocatingv teed linger moving longitudinally of the strip having its "lorward end. engaged through neaneea a notch in said plate and traversing said platform and adapted to engage into an aperture in the strip portion engaged by' said tension plate, said late arranged to sustain the finger onto? strip contact at and toward the limit of its retreat position.

5. In a strip or ribbon feeding device, the strip to he led having a ertures in spaced relation and longitudinal y aligned, a track for the strip comprising a channel for placing and guiding the strip and having a strip receiving platform at the end of the channel, a plate coextensive of and removably mounted upon the track and providing a closure for the channel having bearing up on said platform providing a Weight for the I portion of the strip upon the platform, a

reciprocating feed finger moving longitudi-' nally of the strip traversing said platform and adapted to engage into an aperture in the strip portion engaged by said tension plate, and a carriage providing a movable support for said finger and means for reciprocating said carriage.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name.

FREDERICK 'rronnnn. 

